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Loveland fracking vote shows Colorado is a model for energy dialogue

By Tisha Conoly Schuller

Posted:
06/28/2014 05:01:00 PM MDT

Updated:
06/28/2014 11:08:50 PM MDT

It is healthy to question the safety, effectiveness and logistics of oil and gas development in your community. When taken too far and driven by fear, however, this investigation can foolishly ban production of an energy resource that we all use every day.

Armed with the facts about responsible energy development, Loveland voters last week rejected the politics of fear and took a stand.

They stood up for thoughtful dialogue and meaningful engagement. They stood up for their local economy and energy independence. They stood up for their neighbors who work in the energy industry, for science, and for the responsible development of our natural resources.

And they stood up for their future.

In doing so, they dismissed the activists and outsiders who have in the past successfully used fear and misinformation to lure other cities into passing illegal bans on energy development. These bans trample on private property rights, hurt the economy, and curtail efforts toward energy independence.

Loveland voters also thankfully rejected the all-too-often powerful lure of NIMBYism. It is easy for people to say, "Just drill somewhere else." Even mild supporters of the energy industry can be tempted into thinking that it's OK to ban energy development in their backyard because oil and gas companies can just drill elsewhere.

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But that's not the Colorado way. We live in a state where we first try to work toward reasonable solutions that benefit as many people as possible. Across the United States, Colorado's regulations are referenced as the toughest. Over the past decade, environmental groups, regulators and industry have worked to create a series of national precedent-setting regulations. Although we don't always agree, we keep coming back to the table. Consider:

• In 2008, Gov. Bill Ritter implemented a new slate of oil and gas regulations, and changed the make-up of the state's oil and gas regulatory and health agencies to include specific voices to advocate for environmental, conservation, wildlife and public health values.

• In 2011, Gov. John Hickenlooper enacted first-of-their-kind regulations mandating the terms of hydraulic fracturing disclosure — a rule that has become the model in many other states.

• In 2012, the state worked with industry to develop a voluntary, first-of-its-kind baseline water testing rule, which in 2013 became the basis for the most stringent baseline water sampling regulations in the country.

• In 2013, the state undertook still another new regulatory process, this time imposing new setback requirements for oil and gas operators when producing energy near homes or businesses.

• In 2014, the oil and gas industry supported additional get-tough measures, including House Bill 1356, which increased oil and gas fines by over 1,500 percent.

I hope this election stands as a watershed moment in the long history of Colorado's energy industry, the moment when citizens sent a clear message to activist interlopers about their desire for, and the need for, responsible energy development in our state.

We will continue to deal in facts and to engage in lively dialogues in our neighborhoods and town halls about what responsible energy development looks like. We will first focus on what we have in common: We all want what is best for our families and our communities. We all want to live in a special state, where the economy is as healthy as the ecosystem.

As a model of constructive engagement, Colorado has the burden of remaining a model for the rest of the nation.

Tisha Conoly Schuller is the president and CEO of the Colorado Oil & Gas Association.

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